Days 69-70: Getting Ready for Panama

April 17-18, 2006

In the morning, the famous free love nights of Cahuita are still on our minds
- what a bad luck to fall asleep before even having gotten a glimpse of this
spicy nocturnal life! On a different note, "free love" might not
be the most suitable description for the activities in question - according
to some sources, the adventurous ladies are typically responsible for all
the expenses associated with the hot nights! We find this very intriguing,
but slightly hard to believe, as never ever during this trip have we noticed
a female traveler complaining about lack of attention from Latinos - in fact,
the interest is always present and overwhelming! Then what is the matter with
this little place called Cahuita, and why things are completely different
here? Haven't the rich American ladies spoilt the Cahuita pals just a little
bit too much? :))

Well, the overlooked hot night has turned into a hot day - literally! - which
we decide to spend cruising around the town, hanging out in the beachfront
cafés and lazing on the beautiful Caribbean beach near Cahuita (for
a symbolic donation, you are allowed to enter and stay as long as you please
in the Cahuita National Park, which encompasses a marvelous white sand bay
framed by a grove of palm trees and the turquoise-colored waters of the Caribbean
Sea. Almost visitor-free and reportedly full of wildlife early in the morning,
this place definitely deserves a top spot on the most beautiful beaches list!)

As by late afternoon still nothing unusual starts happening in Cahuita, we
finally get bored, terminate the inconclusive research on free-love in Cahuita,
and continue further south toward the border of Panama. It starts getting
dark at the time we reach another tiny beachfront village of Puerto Viejo
de Talamanca, and the "Rocking J's" campground we accidentally come
across seems like a perfect place to spend the last night in Costa Rica.

Rocking J's could hardly be named more aptly - this place truly rocks! The
campsite is huge and has everything one could wish for. First, where do you
feel like sleeping tonight? (Cahuita does not count!) The choices include
a tent you can rent from Rocking J's, an area for your own tent, rooms with
shared or with private bathroom, and a "luxury" room in the tree
house high above everyone else's heads and beds. If none of the above sounds
good enough, come and swing the night away in one of the very colorful hammocks!
(This is where we came to know the concept of a "hammock hotel",
one of the greatest inventions in the hospitality industry! All it consists
of is a plain structure with a roof on pillars and hundreds of hammocks hanging
underneath. Each hammock user also gets a locker for keeping personal stuff
securely locked. Since most of the Caribbean nights are warm and oh-so-starry,
one could hardly think of a better way to enjoy the views while sleeping :)).
But this is only the beginning! In addition to the you-name-it sleeping possibilities,
Rocking J's also has a Mexican restaurant, a bar, live music and dancing some
of the nights, mini grocery store just across the street, communal kitchen,
bike rental, car parking area, easy access to the beach, and a clubhouse with
free movies and plenty of characters from all around the world! In case you
get enough of the endless fellow-travelers' stories at Rocking J's, Puerto
Viejo de Talamanca is just 10 walking minutes away, with all the snorkeling,
diving, surfing and bar-hopping you can handle!

No wonder you cannot leave such a place after just one night, therefore in
the morning Panama gets rescheduled for 24 hours later :)